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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

A Cow flew by!”

What better forward can there be for today’s Jan’s Day article than to repeat Jan’s own words that this is her favourite of the articles she wrote. “Flying cows..favourite article." It just must be worth a read!

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East Deals
Both Vul
 
N
W   E
S
 
4
K 9 6 5 4 2
5 3
Q 10 7 5
West North East South
    Pass 1 
3  4  ?  

 

Well, would you open the above hand? If you do, presumably it will be a Weak 2? If you did, you would miss all the fun!

Let’s assume you did not. Are you using the red card when the bidding proceeds as follows:

West              North             East                South
                                              
Pass               1Club-small
3Spade-small                   4Heart-small                   ?

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Jan Cormack

“Oh dear! Sorry partner. A cow flew by.

How many times have you heard those words “sorry partner”? I do not care to count.

There would be very few sessions of bridge that I have played during which those two words have not had the occasion to be used.

As in most sports, it is not necessarily the most brilliantly talented player who wins but the player who has the ability to minimise mistakes.

Unfortunately, “a cow flew by” for East on the following deal. “It really did, partner. It had purple and orange stripes with wings at least 30 metres long…honestly!”

cow flying.jpg

East Deals
Both Vul
6
A J 8 7 3
A K 10 7
J 8 2
A K J 10 8 5 3
9 8 6 4 2
6
 
N
W   E
S
 
4
K 9 6 5 4 2
5 3
Q 10 7 5
 
Q 9 7 2
Q 10
Q J
A K 9 4 3
West North East South
    Pass 1 
3  4  ?  

 

East led their spade with West winning the trick with SSpade-small following up with Spade-smallA. North ruffed with Heart-small3 with East’s Heart-small4 winning the trick. Next came Club-small5 which declarer ran round to their Club-small8. A small heart was played with dummy’s Heart-small10 winning the trick as North received the “good news” about the trump suit.

Club-smallAK followed and then a successful club ruff with Heart-small7.Next came Diamond-smallAK leaving the following position, with the defence having taken two tricks:

 
A J
10 7
K 10
9 8
 
N
W   E
S
 
K 9 6 5
 
Q 9
Q
9

 

Diamond-small7 ruffed by East with Heart-small5 (instead of Heart-smallK!) as she gazed in wonderment at the magnificent cow flying over her partner’s head.

cow flying.jpg

All North needed to do was to over-ruff with Heart-smallQ and play dummy’s last club, discarding Diamond-small10 from hand. East was obliged to ruff (3rd trick for the defence) and lead into Heart-smallAJ in declarer’s hand. 4Heart-smallx and made, despite the 6-0 break.

The Perfect Hand?  for less experienced players and others.

Is it? Let’s see.

 

 
 
North Deals
Both Vul
   
8 2
Q 7 6 4 3
A Q 8 4 3 2
 
N
W   E
S
   
West North East South
  1  Dbl 3 
?      

 

3Diamond-small promises at least and normally 4 spades and 10-11 hcp. Your bid? Teams.

Richard Solomon

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